Pregnant woman''s death: IMA condemns violence, vandalism at hospitals

Thane, Apr 11 (PTI) Amid outrage over the death of a woman in Pune after she was denied admission at a hospital, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Maharashtra condemned violence and vandalism at healthcare establishments in the aftermath of the incident.

IMA Maharashtra president Dr Santosh Kadam condoled the woman's death and urged the public and authorities to avoid premature conclusions until investigations are complete.

Tanisha Bhise, wife of the personal secretary of BJP MLC Amit Gorkhe, was allegedly refused admission at the Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, a charitable medical facility, over non-payment of a Rs 10 lakh deposit last month. Subsequently, she died at another facility after giving birth to twin daughters.

Following the incident, angry mobs staged protests and vandalised the charitable hospital and the private practice of Dr Sushrut Ghaisas in Pune, the IMA stated in a release.

"It is deeply disheartening that amidst mourning, mob justice has found a foothold," said Dr Kadam, highlighting that Dr Ghaisas and two generations of his family have served the city with dedication and dignity.

The IMA emphasised that requesting a deposit at the time of admission is a standard administrative protocol in private and corporate healthcare settings and clarified that consultants typically receive only 8 to 10 per cent of the total billing and have little control over hospital policies or financial decisions.

The association also criticised political leaders for making irresponsible public statements, which it claimed had misled the public and vilified the medical profession.

The IMA raised objections to the Pune Municipal Corporation's (PMC) move to issue notices to more than 500 hospitals, instructing them not to collect deposits from patients.

"We support the principle of 'life before ledger' in emergencies, but blanket directives ignore the functional realities of elective surgeries, chronic treatments, and long-term care, which necessitate financial structures like deposits," it said in the release.

The association further clarified that charitable hospitals, which receive certain government benefits, are rightly expected to operate under different standards. However, it is unfair to apply the same expectations to unsubsidised private nursing homes that function independently.

The IMA appealed to the civic authorities to reconsider and withdraw generalised directives. PTI COR ARU